Stuart Anderson, South Shropshire’s Conservatives Parliamentary Candidate, welcomed the Minister for Roads and Local Transport Guy Opperman MP to South Shropshire, as the Transport Secretary Mark Harper MP announced an unprecedented transport funding package for rural areas. The £4.7 billion funding will ensure that millions of people across the North and the Midlands, including Shropshire, benefit from safer roads, better public transport, less congestion, and upgraded local stations.
It includes £136.44 million for Shropshire Council, empowering local leaders to invest in transport projects that matter most to their communities, including the installation of a pedestrian crossing at Leebotwood - the only village along the A49 in Shropshire without one. Stuart has been campaigning for a crossing to be installed at Leebotwood since he met local resident campaigners Rebecca Hill and Charles Baker to discuss the need for a pedestrian crossing in the village. The campaign is also supported by Philip Dunne MP and Councillor Dan Morris.
The visit follows Stuart’s recent survey where residents gave their feedback on road conditions in the area, the results of which have been shared with the Minister. The Minister welcomed the feedback from local residents and said that the extra funding allocated to Shropshire will help the area’s leaders invest in the local needs identified, such as a crossing at Leebotwood. This will improve our streets so that they are safer to walk and will increase accessibility for all.
Shropshire’s £136.44 million allocation is from the £4.7 billion Local Transport Fund for local transport authorities, outside city-regions, including £2.5 billion for the North and £2.2 billion for the Midlands. This Fund will run for seven years (between April 2025 and 2032) and has been made possible through funding redirected from HS2 as part of Network North, with every penny of the £9.6 billion committed to the Midlands leg being reinvested into the Midlands. This unprecedented long-term funding uplift provides the first transport budged of its kind for smaller cities, towns, and rural areas like Shropshire will pay for the infrastructure local communities want: from new and safer roads to new mass transit systems, more electric vehicle charge-points or refurbished bus and train stations, to filling in potholes.
The funding is worth at least 9 times more than these local authorities currently receive and builds on the progress of delivering reallocated HS2 spending into new transport schemes across the country that will benefit far more people, in far more places, far more quickly. This includes £8.3 billion for local highways maintenance such as resurfacing local roads, which will see Shropshire receive an additional uplift of £154 million between 2023-24 and 2033-34, with £2.6 million for both 2023-24 and 2024-25 and the rest of the funding allocated through to 2034. This is in addition to £22 million local transport funding from the Spending Review in 2021, as well as the extra £3.6 million that Shropshire was already expecting, as set out in the Budget that was delivered last year.
Stuart Anderson said: “Enhancing public services is a key priority of mine, which is why I was delighted to welcome Roads Minister Guy Opperman MP to Shropshire. Following my recent survey on local road conditions, Guy was able to see the issues residents face when travelling in areas such as Leebotwood. I know that, like me, he wants to champion solutions that deliver better options for getting around the county. So I am delighted that Shropshire will receive £136.44 million from the Local Transport Fund to deliver local projects that achieve these goals. This will ensure that local people have their voices heard on what transport projects are invested in the area - including installing a pedestrian crossing at Leebotwood. We will also be receiving £154 million to improve the conditions of our roads in Shropshire, driving economic growth and improving our public services.”
Roads Minister, Guy Opperman, said: “It was excellent to visit Shropshire and get the results from Stuart’s recent survey on local road conditions. As our local parliamentary candidate, Stuart is already a fantastic champion of local residents, including by raising the need for a pedestrian crossing at Leebotwood. We are keen to ensure that the issues raised in his survey are addressed. We have announced that Shropshire will be receiving £136.44 million from Local Transport Fund. This will empower local leaders to invest in transport projects that matter most to their communities, such as a crossing at Leebotwood. We have also recently published details of the very significant £8.3 billion extra road funding, the biggest ever increase in funding for local highways. This will make an unprecedented transformation in the condition of highways across the country, including in Shropshire.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “This government has a clear plan to level up our country with greater transport links that people need right across the UK. We are investing billions directly across the region through the first of its kind Local Transport Fund – which fully empowers local people to invest in the transport priorities that matter most to them and their communities. Whether it’s repaired roads, or refurbished train and bus stations - it will be local leaders who decide what transport projects to invest in based on local needs. This is part of our long-term plan to build a brighter future for generations to come.”
